Iran's Military is set to begin military drills in what was described as "an annual exercises aimed at testing indigenous air defense systems, improving the units’ combat readiness and displaying the country’s military might and achievement,” The Times of Israel reported today.
Only yesterday, ReutersIran news agency reported the resumed negotiations by a six nation expert team on nuclear affairs. Last month, the six nation team held what they described as a fruitful discussion and resolved to continue talking later.
Even then, disputes shortly emerged as to whether the agreement allowed Iran to enrich Uranium up to 5% or not. Iran said the discussion allowed them to do so. The United States say it did not and that no such arrangement was agreed on.
On Monday November 25, Woolwich Online reported the second "positive news" to come out of the middle east following on the heal of UN's planned Syria peace conference scheduled for January 22nd, 2014.
We reported then that a new deal on Iran's Nuclear programme, which prohibits the country from enriching uranium beyond 5% and allowing UN inspectors daily access to its nuclear plants, in exchange for considerable monetary aid, points to a new direction for a region now desirous of peace.
Foreign Secretary, William Hague MP, said shortly afterwords that the Iran deal meant "elements of Iran’s nuclear programme thought to present greatest risk can’t make progress during 6-months".
However, the gains from previous meetings appeared diluted as US Senators announced they were to blacklist 19 new Iranian companies and persons, forcing Iranian diplomats to watter down expectations, ReutersIran reported.
Still optimisim remained that participating countries would be able to agree on a date when the accord becomes operational.
Agreements were expected on issues such as lifting of sanctions, when and by how much and at what speed, as Iran commits to halting uranium enrichment and abandons nuclear armament. Iran say it's nuclear programme is for peaceful purpose.
According to the Times of Israel, Brig.-Gen. Alireza Barkhor, Iran's Air force Deputy commander said the war drills would involve “different types of interceptor fighters, bomber fighters, transport aircraft and reconnaissance planes,”
With the drills coming just as expert-level representatives from Iran and the 6 world powers were expected to resume nuclear talks in Geneva on Friday, for a second day of negotiations, and some US senators planning to introduce new sanctions through a legislations against Iran is kicking, analysist wonder what will become the faith of the negotiations.
But reports said US President may veto the bill if it threatens to undermine the nuclear talks with Iran.
White House Spokesman Jay Carney told journalists the bill stood to be vetoed if it “will undermine our efforts to reach a diplomatic solution and greatly increase the chances for military action”, media reports say.
On Wednesday December 18, 2013 the UN passed a resoltion, condemning Iran's torture records and the over use of capital punishment at "alarming" rate. Iranians are already protesting the resolution.
The same day, the UN condemned the blattant and speedy execution, in North Korea, of Jang Song Thaek, a senior official and an uncle of North Korea's Leader Kim Jong Un, within just four days of arrest (Dec. 8), expulsion from the party and execution on December 12.
Emphasizing the UN position, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns said “If the death penalty is to be used at all, international law clearly requires that it is imposed under very strict circumstances,”
The Special Rapporteur said “These must include a trial that meets the highest standards of fairness and the ‘most serious crimes provision', restricting the imposition of the capital punishment for the crime of intentional killing only.”
Meanwhile, the buzz is on over reports that President Bashar Assad of Syria intends to stand for the next election in 2014.
And Arab opposition is said to be already mounting, even as Syria prepares for the January 22nd 2014 Peace Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Image:- Courtesy of Times of Israel.
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